NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. Indian Railways to install around 20 thousand GPS
based navigation fog: The Indian Railways have provisioned
around 20 thousand fog pass devices during the foggy weather to
ensure smooth rail operations. The fog pass is a GPS based navigation device
that helps the loco pilot to navigate during dense fog conditions. The Railway
Ministry said, it provides on-board real-time information to Loco Pilots
regarding location of fixed landmarks such as Signal, Level Crossing gate and
Permanent Speed Restrictions.
2. PM Modi takes part in women's meet at Thrissur in
Kerala: PM Modi took part in the
women's meet titled "Women Power with Modi" organised at Thekkinkadu
Maidan. Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister launched and laid the foundation
stone of development projects worth 1156 crore rupees at Kavaratti island in
Lakshadweep. He accused the two fronts for their role in keeping the law
providing reservation for women in Parliament and the Assembly, pending for
years.
3. 'SMART 2.0' launched for Ayurveda Teaching
Professionals: The Central Council
for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) along with National Commission
for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM) has launched 'SMART 2.0' (Scope for
Mainstreaming Ayurveda Research among Teaching professionals) program. The
program aims to promote robust clinical studies in priority areas of Ayurveda
with Ayurveda academic institutions and hospitals across the country through
mutual collaboration.
4. Hyderabad, Bengaluru airports score high in global
on-time ranking: Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International
Airport bagged third position in the world for its annual On-Time
Performance (OTP) in the year 2023. According to a report released by aviation
analytics firm Circum, Hyderabad airport is ranked as the second most punctual
airport in the world and Bengaluru airport stands next. The Circum report
stated that a flight is considered punctual if it departs or arrives with a
difference of 15 minutes from the scheduled time. The Kempegowda International
Airport has achieved 84.08 % punctuality rate in the year 2023, making it one
of the most punctual airports in the world. However, Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi
International Airpor
5. Justice BR Gavai appoints chairperson of SC legal
services committee.: National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) has
nominated Justice BR Gavai as the Chairman of the Supreme Court Legal
Services Committee. Succeeds Justice Sanjiv Khanna as the Chairperson of the
Supreme Court Legal Services Committee. Justice Sanjiv Khanna was previously
the senior-most puisne judge and currently serves as the Executive Chairperson
of NALSA. Justice Khanna was recently appointed Executive Chairperson of the
National Legal Services Authority (NALSA).
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. Czech PM to be chief guest at Vibrant Gujarat summit: Czech Republic’s Prime Minister Petr Fiala has accepted the invitation
to be a guest of honor at the inaugural session of the 10th Vibrant Gujarat
Global Summit, scheduled for January 10th. His presence in Gandhinagar was
expected to elevate the event to an international level. It is also learned
that the summit will also feature the presence of presidents from three other
countries like the President of the UAE ,the President of Timor and the
President of Mozambique.
2. World Braille Day to be celebrated across globe today: This day holds special importance as it marks
the birthday of Louis Braille, the visionary inventor of the Braille script,
born in France in 1809 Recognizing the paramount role of Braille in education,
communication, and social inclusion, the UN has designated 4
January every year as World Braille Day A universal code rather than a
language, serves as a tool to write and read in various languages, including
Sanskrit, Arabic, Chinese, Hebrew, Spanish, and many others
3. France becomes first European country to issue digital
Schengen visas: France is set to make
history as the first European country to issue digital Schengen visas,
introducing a streamlined online process for the anticipated Paris Olympics. The
innovative “Olympic Consulate” system is exclusively dedicated to managing the
influx of visa applications related to the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. This
groundbreaking initiative, aligned with the European Union’s (EU) broader
digitalization plans.
4. Francoise Bettencourt Meyers becomes first woman with
a $100 billion: Françoise Bettencourt Meyers, heiress to
the L’Oréal beauty empire, has made history as the world’s first woman to
surpass a net worth of $100 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires
Index. This milestone was achieved through the surge in L’Oréal S.A. stock. As
of that day, her net worth stood at $100.1 billion, shows Bloomberg’s data. Established
in 1909 by Bettencourt Meyers’ chemist grandfather, Eugene Schueller to sale a
hair dye, the company has been led by non-family executives for many decades. L’Oreal
Group, the world’s largest cosmetics company, owns brands like Lancome and Maybelline.
5. Russia takes over the BRICS chairmanship: Russia has taken over the BRICS
chairmanship as of January 1, following the decision made during the
15th BRICS Summit in August 2022. Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the
United Arab Emirates have joined BRICS as new full members which is a strong
indication of the growing authority of the association and its role in
international affairs. BRICS continues to attract a growing number of
supporters and like-minded nations that share fundamental principles such as
sovereign equality, respect for diverse developmental paths, mutual
consideration of interests, openness, consensus-building, the pursuit of a
multipolar global order, a fair global financial and trade system, and
collective solutions to major global challenges.
4 January – World Braille Day: World Braille Day is observed every year
on January 4 to honour the birth anniversary of Louis Braille, the
inventor of the Braille writing system for blind and visually impaired
individuals. The primary objective of recognising World Braille Day is to
promote Braille literacy and raise awareness among people about its importance.
Despite the advent of new technologies and systems, visually impaired and blind
people still face significant challenges in leading an independent life.
OTHER UPDATES:
SPORTS
1. Beach Games start at Ghoghala Beach in Union Territory
of Diu: More than 1,200 players from across 20
states and union territories of the country will participate in the
first-of-its-kind multi-sports beach games in Diu. Mr. Thakur will attend the
‘My Bharat’ program at Malala Auditorium Diu. A total of 8 different sports are
included in the Diu Beach Games, including beach volleyball, pencak silat,
beach boxing, beach soccer, and sea-swimming along with traditional sports and
more than 20 in the beach games.
BANKING AND FINANCE
1. RBI releases draft circular proposing new rules of
dividend payout: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) released a
draft circular proposing new rules of dividend payout for domestic and overseas
banks operating in India. RBI has sought public feedback on the proposed norms
by January 31 and the circular will be implemented from April 2024 onwards. The
proposal says banks with net non-performing asset ratio (NNPA) of above 6% and
capital adequacy ratio (CRAR) of below 11.5% cannot declare dividends.
2. Binny Bansal Launches OppDoor To Help Ecommerce Firms
In Expansion: OppDoor offers end-to-end
solutions to brands including market entry analysis, demand mapping, inventory
management, cross-border logistics and tax. The Singapore-based startup claims
to partner with leading private label brands to unlock their business potential
and expand globally. Currently, the startup claims to be operational in the US,
the UK, Canada, Mexico, Germany, Singapore, Japan, and Australia.
3. India Ratings revises PNB Housing Finance NCD ratings
from AA to AA+: PNB Housing Finance, a housing finance
company, said that India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra) has upgraded the
rating of the company’s non-convertible debentures (NCDs) to ‘IND
AA+’ from ‘IND AA’ with stable outlook. Further, Ind-Ra said that NCDs limit
has been split into bank loans and NCDs and ‘IND AA+’ rating has been assigned
to the bank loans.
AWARDS AND HONOURS
1. Prof B R Kamboj honoured with M S Swaminathan Award: Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University’s Vice Chancellor P B.R. Kamboj has been honoured with the prestigious MS Swaminathan Award in recognition of his contributions as a scientist and extension specialist in the field of agronomy. The award ceremony took place at the International Conference on ‘One Health One World,’ held at Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia Agricultural University at Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh. The agricultural recommendations put forth by Prof. Kamboj, stemming from his research work and collaborative extension activities with university scientists, have consistently proven to be highly advantageous for farmers.
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